


The Deal

by Lavender_Menace



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Coffee, Contracts, Deals, Dialogue Heavy, Elf Sportacus (LazyTown), Fae Robbie Rotten, Gen, Hot Chocolate, Magic Robbie Rotten, Negotiations, Non-Human Robbie Rotten, Robbie Rotten is a Big Softie, Sportacus is Afraid of Robbie Rotten, circle talk, everything is implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24234964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavender_Menace/pseuds/Lavender_Menace
Summary: After Robbie Rotten discovers that Sportacus isn't as human as he pretends to be he brings him down into his lair so that they can hash out a Deal
Relationships: Robbie Rotten & Sportacus
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	The Deal

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even sure if this is legible

Sportacus watched in mute horror as Robbie spooned hot chocolate powder liberally into his coffee before adding a sizable splash of cream, and barely held back a wince as Robbie proceeded to essentially pour the mixture down his throat in three long draughts. In the deafening silence Sportacus half-imagined that he could hear Robbie’s heartbeat.

It was only after the mug was emptied that the villain lowered it to regard the hero before him, steady hands cradling the warm ceramic, a pinkie finger tap tap tapping against the vessel's handle.

"So" Robbie began, his voice pitched dramatically low "You want _me_ to keep your secret?" The lair was damp and chilly, but Sportacus shuddered with anxiety rather than as a response to the cold. It was hard to find words—harder yet to speak them.

"I...yes" The pressure of the lair made him feel like he was choking. Prior to their visit he had assumed that it was merely the space’s unpleasant atmosphere that had made the hairs at the back of his neck prickle throughout every ~~blessedly short~~ visit, but now that the wards were active Sportacus recognized them for what they were. It was the kind of magic that he had never mastered, and he cursed himself for his negligence—across from him Robbie was eerily still. 

“Now Sportanerves, why would I go and do a thing like that?” He was teasing, in control in a way that he had almost never been in Sportacus’ presence. The gloating was different too, self-contained and smug rather than loud strutting about. It stood in stark relief, and made Sportacus wonder what else had laid dormant, unnoticed for the entire time that he had resided in Lazytown. It was a manner that for a moment made Sportacus understand how Robbie could have been considered a high ranking villain, rather than the local public nuisance that he often seemed to be.

Sportacus spared a brief moment to be thankful that they were located in what must have been Robbie’s kitchen, it was as dark and utilitarian as the rest of the lair but it did contain a table as well as three dusty hard metal chairs. He shuddered to imagine how vulnerable he would have felt standing before Robbie and negotiating in the cavernous main room while Robbie lounged comfortably on his atrocious orange armchair. It was almost as through Robbie had brought him here, in an attempt to even their playing field. Sportacus couldn’t imagine the villain to ever be the sort to give up an advantage when it was presented to him, but as he felts the wards pulse he reminded himself that he didn’t really know his adversary very well. Perhaps it was simply manners, Robbie already had the upper hand.

“Please…”

Robbie poured himself another cup of coffee, repeating his process and stirring it all together with deliberate movements.

“Well it is nice to have you beg” The villain took a sip of his concoction, sweetened to almost syrup, but still at its heart coffee. The shadows under his eyes seemed nearly bruised. “I have a proposition for you Sportacus 10”

“What would you have me do?” Sportacus asked. His voice was strained and words mispronounced, stress had always worsened his accent. His brother would have chided him for having so many tells. Sportacus let his eyes focus low on the table between them.

“Leave” Robbie answered promptly, taking another sip “but that’s not what I’ll ask of you. Not tonight” as Sportacus looked up again the shadows seemed to darken, bony shoulders becoming more angular as Robbie’s true nature revealed itself in turn. Sportacus had known, of course he had, but like many things he had allowed himself not to see.

Now he had been revealed himself, lost the little advantage he’d had. Everyone knew that there was something more to Robbie—he hid himself as carelessly as he did everything else—but no one cared to look at him too closely. Sportacus lived in the light, in the people’s eyes, but now the veil that covered his one secret lay in the hands of a lazy but clearly antagonistic creature and the hero was bracing himself for it to be pulled away for all to gaze upon.

Everyone had always looked at Sportacus closely.

Robbie was avoiding his eyes.

“Come back tomorrow, at this time, and maybe then I will know what I would have you trade this little scrap of information for” The villain said finally, the words less formal than they had been a moment ago, but just as steeped in power. It was an open order, rather than a solid trade for a secret kept. Robbie kept him in the air, the deal intentionally vague. Sportacus in his heart knew not to take it—that if he did then he would be beholden to Robbie for as long as the villain saw fit to play with him. Tomorrow could easily become a week from now, which could become a month, the undefined power that Robbie held over Sportacus could not be allowed to fester or warp. When dealing with creatures such as Robbie said deals must be closed and finished with as quickly as possible—lest favors be called in at some fatally inconvenient moment.

“I need you to ask something of me _tonight_ , this must be finished” If a bargain was made then it would be over, and then maybe Sportacus would be able to salvage his life here in Lazytown, Maybe he could continue on as if nothing had happened. If Robbie was willing to trade something for the secret of Sportacus’ true nature, then Sportacus might be willing to take that Deal and cope with the consequences as they came.

Now Sportacus hears his own heartbeat.

“Fine” Robbie bit out, familiar drama contrasting with the new heaviness of his presence—in the dim light Robbie was like a black hole, drawing light and shadow alike into himself. “Though it _would_ be more fun just to tell them…let them find out that their beloved Slightly Above Average Hero was something else entirely”

He took another sip, grimaced, and spooned in more hot chocolate powder—this time Sportacus actually did wince. Robbie grinned in response.

“In trade for my continued silence I request continued honesty.” Sportacus looked up, startled. Robbie’s face was uncharacteristically serious as he peered through the dimness of the lair. He watched as the villain placed his mug onto the aluminum table that sat between them, the click of ceramic against metal ringing through the lair.

“One hero coming raised questions that I never got a satisfactory answer to” Robbie continued “Now there have been two—here in _my_ town—and if you aren’t human then I’m sure that the last one wasn’t as well. This is my _home_ and I need to know why it’s attracted such attention.”

Sportacus stopped breathing.

“If I were to tell you everything that you want to know” The hero began “would your continued silence extend to the information that you learned?” Their current conversation was proof enough in itself that information had immense power, and now Robbie was asking of him a share in all that Sportacus had. Unless Sportacus added a qualifier to their Deal then the price would be more valuable than the service. Haggling had never been his strong point, but if Robbie was as much of a softie as Stephanie claimed he was then he would accept the compromise—his curiosity would be sated without taking the means to further blackmail Sportacus.

“Yes, if that is your only compromise.” The tension in the air lessened noticeably as Robbie leaned back, apparently satisfied. Sportacus breathed again, before steeling his courage.

“Actually Robbie, I have one more condition”

“And _what_ makes you think that you’re in a position to push a bargain?” Robbie looked appalled, face pulled into a familiar grimace. The harsh light of the lair had softened slightly and the syrupy liquid in Robbie’s mug appeared to be congealing. The mug was slung loosely by the handle in the villain’s bony fingers, the movement carelessly casual.

They stared at each other until Robbie sighed, resuming his tap tap tapping.

“Tell me, what else do you want Sportapush.”

“I want to the reserve the right to refuse to answer a question.” Sportacus replied, feeling his hands ball nervously into fists. “I will agree never to lie to you, but I cannot—I will not—tell you every secret I know, many of them are not mine to tell” He braced himself for an explosion, Robbie was prone to fits of temper and their situation was tense. Asking for more while already at a disadvantage was likely crossing a line, but Sportacus could not agree to Robbie’s terms without that qualifier. Still Robbie had been more lenient during their discussion than the hero had expected. When Sportacus had initially allowed himself to be lead down into the lair he had been bracing himself to be given the choice of either leaving or having his secret revealed to the public—he had been imagining microphones and banners, all with his secret scrawled across them in true ostentatious Robbie Rotten style.

What he had received instead could almost be called a kindness. He had been granted the dignity of a negotiation however stilted and awkward, and Robbie had not tried to force him to leave town. Sportacus still could not fathom why; Robbie’s questions, whatever they might have been, must be important.

Robbie’s tapping increased in volume for a moment before he placed the mug on the table with a harsh clink, the sound echoing against the metal walls.

“You’re in luck then—If our Deal had been intended to _force_ you to answer every question I gave you I’d have _specified_.” The villain seemed almost offended “I may be lazy but even I’m not that sloppy.” They stared at each other for a moment; Sportacus could feel the tenseness of his shoulders as he mulled over the fact that Robbie had essentially just admitted to leaving an intentional loophole in their deal, one that would allow Sportacus some continued control over what information was to be passed on to Robbie. It was kind, in the sort of way that witches in stories could be kind—a backhanded compliment in the form of a riddle.

“Okay” He sighed, feeling a similarly conflicting mix of triumph and defeat “Okay I think we have a deal” Robbie’s expression turned unreadable for a bare moment before morphing into a smug smile. The villain reached out a hand to shake

“Yes Sportacus 10, we have a Deal.”


End file.
